Transnational organized crime is a danger to security in the Western Hemisphere, organized crime specialist Celina Realuyo, professor at the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies at the National Defense University in Washington D.C., said at the University of Panama, on October 25, 2021. “No one country has [ … ]
Transnational Threats
China’s Rise Prompts New NATO Measures to Deal with Threats
Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), said in an interview with the Financial Times on October 18, 2021, that the rise of China was having an impact on the security of several European countries, due to its cyber capabilities, new technologies, and long-range missiles. According [ … ]
Ecuador Seizes 6.9 Tons of Cocaine
Ecuadorian security forces seized 6,980 kilograms of cocaine in five operations, between October 28 and November 8, 2021. On November 8, the Ecuadorian Police (PE, in Spanish) confirmed the seizure of 1,000 kg of cocaine in Playa Murciélago, Manabí province, when authorities captured a speedboat 40 nautical miles off the [ … ]
Brazil: Police Seizes Nearly 10 Tons of Marijuana in a Single Day
On October 22, 2021, Brazilian security forces seized nearly 10 tons of marijuana in three operations. In the first, Federal Police (PF, in Portuguese) agents seized 5.5 tons of marijuana in a shed in the city of Ponta Porã, Mato Grosso do Sul state, on the border with Paraguay. “There [ … ]
Costa Rica Seizes 10.6 Tons of Drugs in Maritime Interdictions
Costa Rica’s National Coast Guard Service (SNG, in Spanish) and Ministry of Public Security (MSP, in Spanish) seized 6,809 kilograms of cocaine and 3,857 kg of marijuana in seven operations, November 1-8, 2021. The MSP confirmed via Twitter the seizure of 981 kg of cocaine in Matina, Limón province, on [ … ]
Colombia, Ecuador, US Seize More than 7.4 Tons of Cocaine
In four maritime operations in the Pacific Ocean, service members from Colombia, Ecuador, and the United States seized 7,410 kilograms of cocaine that criminals were transporting in three semisubmersibles and a speedboat, the Colombian Navy (ARC, in Spanish) indicated on November 4, 2021. In the first operation, Colombian service members [ … ]
Sky Fallout
On the heels of the second anniversary of the Nyonoksa radiation disaster, the Russian federation is continuing development of the weapon at the heart of the tragedy. In March 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled his plan to develop six new advanced weapons systems. The crown jewel of these weapons [ … ]
Colombian Military Forces Destroy Cocaine Mega-lab of FARC Dissident Group
In mid-October, the Colombian Navy led a riverine operation, with the support of the Colombian Army and Air Force, in which they managed to locate and destroy a mega-lab with the capacity to produce more than 3,000 kilograms of cocaine per month. The complex, found in the Tumaco municipality, in [ … ]
Colombia Captures 41 Members of Clan del Golfo
In late September, Colombian Minister of Defense Diego Molano announced the capture of 41 members of the criminal organization Clan del Golfo, in the southwestern part of Antioquia department. Among those captured is alias El Zurdo, who as leader of the Jairo de Jesús Durango substructure was responsible for supervising [ … ]
Paraguayan Drug Leader Involved in Containerized Cocaine Shipments Arrested
On October 9, Paraguayan authorities announced the capture of Miguel Ángel Servín, leader of a narcotrafficking organization involved in containerized cocaine shipments to Europe and the Middle East, the Paraguayan National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD, in Spanish) said in a statement. According to SENAD, authorities had been investigating Servín for years [ … ]
Criminals Plan Attacks on Colombia from Venezuela
Some 1,900 Colombian criminals are allegedly living in Venezuelan border cities, where they plan criminal activities against Colombia and in favor of narcotrafficking, General Luis Fernando Navarro Jiménez, commander of the Colombian Military Forces, told the Chilean newspaper La Tercera in September 2021. Gen. Navarro estimated that around 1,200 members [ … ]
Maduro’s Ally Faces 20 Years in Prison
On November 1, two weeks after the extradition of Alex Saab, businessman and alleged financier of the Nicolás Maduro Venezuelan regime, from Cape Verde in Africa, to the United States, federal prosecutors in Miami dismissed seven of the eight money laundering charges against him. According to media outlets, such as [ … ]